I Melt
by The Notorious Cat
Summary: COMPLETE..NS..Something happens to Nick and Sara that spawns an unfortunate part of Sara's memory to surface. When she trusts Nick enough to tell him the whole truth, what transpires between them?
1. Fears and Friends

"Hey Nicky, we've got a live one. Main Street." Sara leaned against the doorway. I looked up from where I had been working, sending her a grin. My smile grew as I watched Sara blush under my gaze. Her quiet innocence is such a turn on.

"Don'tcha mean a dead one?" She rolled her eyes in a playful way at my smart remark.

"Ugh. C'mon bozo." She came over and grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the door. She turned and looked at me, and I waggled my eyebrows suggestively.

"You're lucky I'm not drunk. I might take this the wrong way you know." I said, joking around. But instead of blushing again, Sara looked away. We stopped walking, and my hand came to her shoulder.

"Hey, is everything okay?" I asked, and she bit her lip.

Okay, I'm going to take that as a no.

"How about breakfast after shift? We can talk then, alright?" she asked. I was so surprised I nearly jumped out of my skin. I took a mental deep breath to calm myself.

'She's not asking you out Stokes, settle.' I thought.

"Sounds perfect."

That came out quite unexpectedly nice.

" 'Kay" she said. She sighed and looked down.

"I have to go get my kit, I'll be back." I stated, kind of offhandedly. Sara started to walk down the hallway. I fished with an idea in my head, wondering whether or not to go through with it. I made a quick fist, and decided.

"Hey, Sara?" I called.

She turned, and I jogged down to meet her.

"Whatever it is, don't let it get you down." I pulled her into a quick hug with one arm. She rested there for a little longer than I had expected, but it was not unwelcome. She backed away, and I released my hold on her waist. I noted the faint blush on her cheeks once again making itself known.

"Thanks Nick." She said with a smile. "I won't."

I nodded, returning her smile, but I was still concerned.

I studied her for a minute, and she didn't break my gaze. Finally, I turned to head off down the hall for my field kit and jacket.

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The murder was pretty sick. Some psycho had taken three young girls, they were all around twenty-five, and tied them to the bed, raped them, and then carved a huge X shape over their stomach, letting them bleed out. It had been very cold lately. Frost had formed on the lips of the girls. Then they were laid next to each other.

I had to turn away, as did Sara. I wanted to reach out and hold her, but I also valued our friendship, and that was a little risqué for us as of now. I came up behind her and gripped both her shoulders, and she sent me a pleading look, putting one of her hands on mine.

I wondered what had gotten into her. Suddenly, she was responding to me, reaching out instead of holding back. I can't say I don't like it though.

We processed, took pictures, and took what little evidence we could find from the scene. This case affected Sara and I so much that we stayed the entire shift searching for more. No prevail.

The ride home was silent. When we returned to headquarters, we handed in evidence, and packed it up. I thought Sara had left, and so I trudged to the locker room to replace some stuff into my locker.

I found Sara in the locker room, in the middle of changing her shirt. In other words, on top she now had on nothing but a bra.

"Uh...sorry Sara." She turned to me and I smiled sheepishly, looking down.

"No, it's okay, you're fine." She said, and I figured she had now replaced her shirt. But, I discovered when I looked up, that no she didn't, that there she stood, in a dark lacy bra.

Does she know what she does to me? Lets just say I stifled what would have been a very husky groan.

I walked to my locker without looking at her again. I don't think my body can handle it.

"Are we still on for breakfast?" she asked fishing around in her locker.

"Yeah, sure." I mustered, still not looking at her for fear of what action Mother Nature would take.

Finally, she found a shirt, and she started pulling it over her head. When she had, she walked over and touched my shoulder.

"Are we okay? You are avoiding me." She looked kind of sad and angry.

I gave her a huge smile.

"Yeah. Never been better." I said truthfully.

"Are you sure? You wouldn't look at me when I was over at my locker." She said, totally innocently, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry Sar, I just didn't think it was common courtesy to stare at a woman while she dresses." I said, and she started laughing with me.

"I guess you're right. Sorry." She said as our laughter died down.

"It's okay. Ready to go?" I asked.

"Yeah."

In the car, we sat in comfortable silence until Sara asked me something.

"Nicky, who taught you all this common courtesy?" she asked, looking in my direction.

"Mostly my grandmother I suppose. She always told me, always treat the people you care about in your life with respect, or they won't be around for long."

She laughed, and I sent her a questioning smile.

"You know Nick, if I caught you staring at me in the locker room, I wouldn't have left Vegas." She chuckled, and I shook my head in amusement.

"Hey! Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about." I say as we pull up to the restaurant. Her laughter turns to seriousness when she answers.

"No, no I do know. I think it's really nice actually. I'm glad I know someone who cares enough, especially in Vegas."

We share a smile before getting out of the car.

"Hey," I say suddenly, feeling my pockets, "forgot my cell."

Sara waits for me on the sidewalk as I head back to the car for my phone. I fish around in there 'till I find it.

"Victory!" I call, and I hear her laugh. I am just closing the car door when I feel her at my side, her hand on my forearm.

"What's wrong?" I ask her. There is a flash of fear in her eyes as she points.

A very, very drunk man is coming up the street. He staggers and sways, heading our way.

"C'mon Sar." I say, gesturing to the sidewalk. I offer her my hand, and she takes it. She walks extremely close to me as we head up the path, my hand never leaving hers. The drunken man gets closer, and Sara looks at me with a slightly scared expression. I give her hand a squeeze and she squeezes mine back.

We reach the drunk man. He is ten feet away when he calls to Sara.

"Hey baby where you going? C'mon home with me we'll get to know each other better." He calls, and Sara squeezes my hand, hard. I steal a glance at her. But all the sudden, the man reaches out to grab Sara's chest. I knock his hand away so he only feels part of one breast and then trails down her stomach. She shudders violently.

"Get off her, jackass!" I yell as we head once again toward the restaurant door. I place my hand on the small of her back now, guiding her gently. She turns around to see him again, and shivers, crossing her arms in front of her body. I let my hand glide to her hip, holding her closer.

Once we get inside, I sit her down.

"I'm going to enter our name I'll be right back." I say, my hand on her knee. She places her hand on mine, stands up, and shakes her head no.

"I'll come too." She says, grabbing my hand with a scared expression. I nod, giving her hand a quick squeeze before leading her to the desk.

After we check in, she sits down next to me on a bench.

"Are you okay?" I look her straight in the eye. She shakes her head no. I release her hand and slide my arm around her waist pulling her closer. My other hand joins with hers, and she lets herself relax in my arms.

"I'm sorry." I say, "I should have led us around the long way. I didn't think he'd even speak to us, let alone try to...grab you." I speak slowly, treading carefully into unknown territory. Something deeper was going on here, I could tell. I don't really want to think about what.

"No, it's not your fault...Thanks for shoving him off me." her eyes connected with mine one last time before she rested her head against my shoulder. I let my chin rest against the top of her head, and I felt her take a deep breath.

"I wouldn't let anything happen to you Sara." I assured her. I spoke the truth, and I hoped she believed it.

"I knew you wouldn't." she said, and I could feel her smile. I squeezed her waist gently, and she did something that surprised me.

She brought my hand to her lips and kissed it. We rested against each other for a while, both of us enjoying the sensations of soft caresses and gentle squeezes.

"Stokes, party of two, your table is ready." The host spoke over the announcements. I took my chin off Sara's head, and she took her head from my shoulder. I caught her eye, and we smiled at each other.

"You know, I kind of like being a Stokes." Sara said, and I laughed as we stood.

"I do too." I added, giving her hand a final squeeze as we followed the hostess to our table.

We slid into our booth, and made small talk as we ordered drinks. When we received them, we ordered our breakfast and settled in for a discussion. I start it.

"Sara, will you please tell me what's going on with you?"

She looks away, and sighs.

"Yes. I will tell you." She says. "But not here. Not now. We can talk after breakfast."

I smile at her, feeling quite proud that she trusts me enough to tell me what's really on her mind.

"But you're doing alright now?" I inquire, wondering what present state of mind she's in.

"Well, besides feeling sort of gross, I think I'm okay." She comments while crossing her arms in front of her and shivering.

"But I'm sure I'd feel a lot grosser if you hadn't hit him before he got the chance to touch me where he really wanted...Or if you hadn't been there at all..." she trailed off, looking away.

I placed my hand on top hers, caressing it tenderly.

"If I hadn't been there at all, you would have gone home, not come here." I reassured her.

Silence.

"Sometimes I do worry about you though. I worry about you being in situations like that. Average guys can't control themselves around beautiful women you know."

In spite of herself, Sara broke into a gap-toothed grin.

"So, imagining I'm the beautiful girl, that means you have to be way more than the average guy, because you are going over and beyond controlling yourself."

I smiled at how she had no idea of how pretty she really is.

"Okay, for one, you are beautiful, and two, I can't help it if I'm an above average guy."

Sara blushed.

"What if you are the most gorgeous guy I have ever met?" she teases.

I smiled and gave her hand a kiss. She smiled and flamed red.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met." I say, quite seriously in fact.

Sara stopped short. She pulled her hand almost completely out of mine and looked away.

"No I'm not."

I was in awe. How could she think that of herself? I would never say these things casually!

Oh God.

I know what she's thinking. She's thinking of all the prostitutes I've been with. No...I can't believe she thinks that.

"Sara...you have to believe me when I say this to you. I would never say those things about your beauty if I didn't fully believe them to be true. There are a million ways to be beautiful, and I think you've got most of them down pat. But these girls you are thinking of, they only have outward beauty, something you mastered without even trying. Trust me Sara. You are the most beautiful person I have ever known."

Sara smiled and wiped her eyes.

"How are you so perfect?" she asks me, and I chuckle.

"I'm not much more perfect than you."

She nods. With teary eyes, she looks at me.

"Nick, can I give you a hug?"

"Of course you can, Sar." I smile, standing. She enters my arms quickly, letting one sob escape her before she calms down.

"Here, sit." I say, sitting on the edge of one bench and patting my lap. She smiled through her tears and sits eagerly on my lap. I hug her tight as she rests in my arms, her head on my shoulder.

"Why are you crying darlin'?" I ask, unconsciously calling her a pet name. She smiles at me as I rub her back.

"No one has ever called me beautiful like that before. You are the first one to really tell me how beautiful you think I am." She says as one more tear runs down her face. I catch it before it reaches the end, cupping her face with my hand.

"No, I told you how beautiful I know you are."

She smiles, her head once again resting against my chest. I kiss her forehead and speak.

"You wanna come sit on this side by me?" I ask quietly.

"Yeah." I hear her whisper.

I move her drink and silverware without releasing her from my arms.

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After dinner –

Sara and I left the table. The bill was paid and we walked out the door.

Almost.

"Wait." Sara said. I stopped, searching her eyes for a reason. Then it hit me. The drunk man.

She took a deep breath and then turned to me.

"Do you trust me?" I asked, and she nodded her head without hesitation.

"I trust you with my life, and more." She added.

"If he is out there, I will not let anything happen to you."

Sara smiled broadly. She took my hand, gave it a squeeze, and pushed open the door.


	2. Past and Professions

"Do you trust me?" He asked.

Do I trust him? Of course! Stupid of him to ask. I trust him with my life.

"I trust you with my life, and more." I reply.

"If he is out there, I will not let anything happen to you."

I can feel my lips break into a huge grin. I take his hand and give it a squeeze. He smiles at me, and I push open the door.

As soon as we're out, I feel his grip on my hand get a little tighter. He looks around, as do I, and see nothing. Well, I see nothing anyway.

"Do you see him?" I ask worriedly.

"No, do you?" he responds, still looking around.

"Nah." I say offhandedly. He turns to me.

"Okay then, let's go." He gestures towards the car. I smile and nod.

It's funny. Even though there is no danger or anything, Nick doesn't let go of my hand. I smile and breathe a laugh.

"What?" he asks with a grin, and I shake my head as if to say 'nothing'. In response I just turn my hand in his, lacing our fingers together and giving his hand a squeeze. He chuckles quietly.

"Yeah. It is a little weird, huh?" he says, still refusing to let go of my hand.

"Yeah," I say with a nod, "it's nice though."

"Yes. It is." He says.

We get into the car, silently pulling out of the parking lot. On the way back to the lab to pick up my car, Nick suddenly asks me something.

"Wanna come over to my house?" he asks, and a million thoughts, most dirty, run through my mind. I take in a sharp breath, and he looks over at me. His eyes get wide as he realizes what I'm thinking.

"No...Sara God no that's not at all what I meant. I still want to learn what's really on your mind, and you said you'd tell me, but not at the restaurant. And I don't want you to tell me at work. So I figured that you'd want to tell me in private. I would never come on to you like that, especially after what happened tonight." Nick says with a pleading look that says 'I'm sorry, try to understand'.

"Yea. Okay let's go." I say, and Nick lets out an audible breath.

"But Nick? You have to promise one thing." I say, and he breathes in again.

"Okay..." he says skeptically.

"You have to promise me you will lend me some comfortable clothes to hang in." I say with a huge grin.

"Girl," he says, releasing his breath and laughing, "you've got me constantly on edge."

I just smile.

"I'll keep that in mind."

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At Nick's house –

We walked in the front door, and I was instantly washed in a wave of Nick's distinct scent. It's like a mix of soap and cologne, and it wraps around my body. I cross my arms in front of myself and take a deep breath, enjoying the sensation.

"You okay?" Nick has stopped walking and is looking at me.

I smile and nod.

"Well, come on then, shall we see what I have for you to wear?" he asks, gesturing towards the back. I nod slowly, my smile decreasing.

I cannot believe I am scared to be in the same room with a bed and Nick. I know he wouldn't ever do anything, but, given my past record... Nick doesn't know my past record though.

Well, at least not yet.

I trust Nick. So much that it scares me. I know that if he ever did anything to betray my trust, I would be done with men. That'd be it. Gone. Over.

All I can do is pray that he will be the same Nick I've always known, and that'll be all I can ask of him.

"Okay, I've got some drawstring sweatpants, freshly washed in fact, and...a clean t-shirt. That good?" Nick interrupts my thinking, and I smile quickly. He tilts his head slightly, looking sort of confused.

"Yes. This is fine. Thanks Nick." I say, purposely touching his hand as I take the clothes from him. He smiles.

"Sure. You can change in the bathroom, right down the hall to your left. Do me a favor and close the door on your way out?" he asks, and I nod. As I leave, I close the door, looking back. Nick's shirt is off.

Huh... He is so gorgeous. Damn.

After I change, I fold my clothes and exit the bathroom. Strolling down back towards the kitchen, I place my stuff on his counter and turn to see him.

All the sudden he rushes on me laughing and smiling. He takes me in his arms and twirls me around. Once I'm back on the ground where I belong, I wrap my arms lazily around his neck and laugh at him

"What was that for?" I ask, not really understanding.

"We won! The game we thought the other team had in the bag was conquered by none other then we, the proud, brave Cowboys!" Nick said, puffing out his chest slightly and tightening his arms around me.

"The Cowboys are a basketball team?" I ask, seriously not knowing who they are.

He stares at me, a look of awe on his face.

"You cannot be serious. You aren't a Cowboys fan?" he asks.

I smile, removing on hand from around his neck and pulling at the top of my shirt, gesturing for him to look at it.

"I think I am now..." I say, referring to the huge cowboys logo covering the front and back of my shirt. Nick laughs with me, and he steps out of our embrace, placing a hand on my back and guiding me towards the couch. We both sit.

Quite close to each other actually.

Nick looked at me for a long moment, and his slightly lustful gaze made me look away. He curled a stray hair behind my ear and spoke.

"Sara, something is bothering you. Please tell me. What ever it is, I don't care. I don't judge people based on their past, I judge them based on their present actions. So whatever it was you wanted to tell me before, please do."

I took Nick's hand and looked into his eyes.

"I'll give it to you plain Nick. I have problems trusting men. I found out while ago investigating a case that Hank, my old boyfriend, he cheated on me. He had a woman in his life already." Nick squeezed my hand supportively as I continued.

"But that isn't the big one."

I took a deep breath and turned to face Nick more.

"When I was twenty-three, I had a lot of things going for me. It was the week after my graduation from college, and my boyfriend back then, he invited me to this huge party. At the party, he got really drunk. The people at this party freaked me out, and he was drunk, so I was scared. I told him I wanted to go home, and he took me home. I got into my apartment, but he followed me in. He restrained me on the bed, and raped me. Repeatedly. Over and over. And all I can remember is screaming and thinking, he is going to kill me."

I stopped for a moment, removing my hand from Nick's to wipe my eyes. When I had I placed it right back in his. I scooted closer to him, and he let one hand rest on my waist.

"But, obviously, he didn't kill me. He did something worse. Nick, he let me live! By allowing me to live, he made me tell people what happened, and live with the shame. He took my virginity, something I wish I possessed to this day. He took away my trust of men, and of anyone. He significantly lowered my self-confidence, and he took away my feeling of security. It's so much harder to live Nick. And seeing the drunk man today...the memories came flooding back." I cried, and he motioned for me to come to him. I did, allowing his arms to wrap securely around me, breathing in his scent calming me.

He held me tight, kissing the side of my head as he breathed in and out deeply. I wondered how this was affecting him. I turned my head and looked into his eyes, which were clouded with sadness and anger. I gently cupped the side of his face. He looked down at me.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"I can't believe this happened to you. It's just not fair." He stated solemnly. My thumb trails across his jawbone, a gentle, reassuring caress.

"I know it's not fair. It seems to me that life isn't fair. But now it's different. Now, here you are, and I have someone to talk to. ...I hope you don't feel like I dumped this on you." I say quickly. He smiles affectionately at me.

"Of course not." He says. I nod my head in silent understanding, and lay it back down on his chest. My hand trails down from his cheekbone, resting on his neck. My fingers twirl light circles as I close my eyes. Nick takes a deep breath, and the rise and fall of his chest is so calming I nod right off.

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Three hours later –

I jump clear out off the couch from another nightmare, landing back on it. Wait.

Whose couch?

Oh God help me. I'm still at Nick's, and all the memories of the past twenty-four hours come flooding back like a broken dam. I sigh, sitting up, checking my watch and looking for Nick.

In the dark, it takes my eyes a minute to adjust. But I find Nick without much trouble. There he is, fallen asleep on the Lazy Boy chair.

I smile. How typical.

I get up and walk over to him, with every intention of waking him. I just had a horrible nightmare, and I really need him right now. But, somehow, when I get to the chair, standing near it stroking Nick's arm, I can't find it in my heart to wake him.

So, I climb onto the chair next to him, sliding my body so that I am in his arms. I spread a blanket over us, because it is kind of chilly still.

My arms wrap around Nick, one across his chest, one behind him. I lean up and kiss his cheek, and I feel him move next to me.

And though it might just be my imagination, I could swear I felt him snake his arms around my waist.


	3. Assurances and Asses

Authors Note:

1) As you all might have noted, this is a multi-chapter story. Don't worry, the lyrics are coming. Good things come with patience.

2) I understand that some people are under the impression that you can read my stories and not review a single time. How dare they! If you are one of these people, YOU WILL BURN IN THE ETERNAL FLAMES OF HELL if you do not review. So, for your own sake, just review. Leave your name and something as simple as good job, and I'll keep pumping out the stories!

3) That is all.

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I felt Sara climb onto the chair with me.

I don't think she knew it, but I wrapped my arms around her.

The feeling of lust that grew in the pit of my stomach when she simply stroked my arm was so great it scared me. I wanted to reach over and kiss her right then and there.

But, I knew I couldn't Sara had just told me something very important and serious about herself, and doing something like that, catching her completely off guard, it would just be unfair to her and our relationship.

So, as she climbed onto the chair with me, I discretely pulled her closer.

And that's how we fell asleep.

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Sometime later –

I awoke to the feel of something moving on my chest. I kept my eyes closed, enjoying the sensation of what I knew was Sara twirling her fingers gently over my chest. I opened my eyes, and she looked up at me with a huge smile.

"Hey look, I caught a Sara!" I exclaimed quietly, and she chuckled, snuggling into my chest and shoulder. I squeezed her with one hand that rested on her waist. I moved another hand to rest on her abdomen, my thumb trailing up and down it.

"I think I caught you." She said.

"Okay, I'll give you that one." I let her win, and she pressed her hand into my chest momentarily.

We remained quiet, just needing to be with each other for a while.

"You okay?" I ask, half asking about what she told me, half asking about why she crawled onto the chair with me.

"I'd say I'm okay, sure. I'm doing better at any rate. Last night I had a nightmare, that's why I came to sleep with you. I was going to wake you, but –" she started but I interrupted her.

"Sara, I don't care what time it is you can always wake me. Know that." I said, and I felt her nod and laugh.

"I know. But, if you would let me finish. I was going to wake you, but you just looked so darn cute I couldn't bring myself to." She said, looking at me with a smile. I smiled back at her, taking one of her hands, putting it to my face and kissing her palm. She blushed red, and I stroked her cheek.

"I can't help it if I'm cute." I say, and she laughs again.

"I'm glad you can't. Your ego might sky rocket."

"Hey!" I play along hugging her tight as a comfortable silence reigns over us again.

"Wanna tell me about the nightmares?" I ask, my hand sliding low on her stomach, caressing her bare midriff. She takes in a sharp breath, and my heart skips a beat when I realize she is responding to my touch. She released the breath before continuing.

"They're pretty bad. I used to get them way more often, now I don't get them nearly as much. But, you know what happened last night, it just jogged an unfortunate part of my memory." She said, leaning more into me as she shifted her weight. I was lying on my back now, and after she moved, she was lying on her stomach, her arms loosely wrapped around my neck. My hand shifted from her bare midriff to her bare lower back while she moved, my hand sliding slightly up her shirt. She shivered, and I thought it was of dislike, so I removed my hand, placing it on her covered back.

"Nick, your hand was okay." She says, and I feel her eyes closing.

So I replaced my hand, going a little further up her shirt. She grinned.

I knew something else was on her mind. She was taking a deep breath, and I could almost see a scared look in her eyes.

"Sar, is there anything else you want to ask me? You know you can tell me anything." I encouraged gently. She took a deep breath and continued.

"Nick, what's going on with us?" she asks, and I remain silent for a moment while I mulled that over.

"Well, lets see. I know for certain that I care about you as more than a friend now. But I really don't want to loose you...if, you know, if we went further things end up not working out." I added, wanting her to know how much she really did mean to me.

"I don't think I could bare to loose you Nick." She said tightening her grip, burying her head in my neck. I squeezed her tight for a moment, telling her I felt the same way.

"I'm not going anywhere fast." I reassured her. I felt her nod, and she sniffled.

"Promise me we'll always be friends?" she asked, and how child like she sounded amazed me. I knew in that instant that, she needed a good, strong relationship in her life, I knew she needed me. And I was more than willing to give myself to her.

"Definitely." I reply firmly, helping her believe my statement.

She sighs softly, and I can feel her hot breath against my neck. I know I can't just kiss her, but I know I can't sit here doing nothing while she is making this feeling of want grow inside me quicker than you fill a balloon. I content myself with kissing the side of her head.

"So we're gonna take the next step?" she asked, her tone of voice almost tentative.

"I say we go for it." I answer definitively. She smiles and raises her head to look in my eyes.

"I second that notion." She adds.

I am keenly aware of how close our lips are.

"Then it's decided." I say and she nods.

I just want to kiss Sara senseless right now, but I can't. I know it, she knows it, and yet, here we are. I grit my teeth for a minute, trying to gain enough self-control. I kiss her forehead gently, my hand coming to slide through her hair as I allow my lips to remain there for a minute. When I finally back away, her eyes are still closed and her lips are formed in a smile.

Her eyes flutter open and I grin at her. She grins back.

"Wanna get up now?" I ask. She nods slowly, slowly enough to concern me.

"Are you sure everything's alright?" I ask, squeezing her hips slightly. She smiles for a moment at my touch, but a frown creeps up onto her face shortly after.

"I'm still feeling a little weird about last night and that guy...just how similar it was to the first time that happened ... Except you. Thanks for everything last night Nick." She says with a sad smile. I give her a grin. Her sentence doesn't really make sense, but I know what it means. One of my hands comes to cup her cheek, and she leans into it.

"I wouldn't let any guy touch you. Well, maybe the occasional hug from Warrick but..." I say and she laughs a little.

"Okay. I'm ready to get up now." She says pushing against my chest to get up. But I wrap an arm around her back, pulling her right on top of me. Her mouth is a millimeter from mine, and she looks at me, puzzled.

I give her a wicked grin, and squeeze her ass. She jumps out of surprise, and screams. I laugh, and she gets up off me, pulling me with her. When I stand up to join her, she slaps my chest.

"What was that for?" she asks, referring to what I had done.

"I'm allowed to squeeze my girlfriend's ass!" I say, and she blushes a deep red. She wraps her arms around my back, and I hold her close for a moment. All the sudden, she lets her hand fall, and grips my ass, hard. Then she leaves my arms, sprinting down the hallway as I jump back in surprise.

I huge grin spreads across my face and I run down the hallway after her.

"SARA SIDLE!!!!"

She screams in delight as she yells seven words that make me laugh.

"I'm allowed to squeeze my boyfriend's ass!"

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	4. Confessions and Cases

CONFESSIONS AND CASES

"Hey Catherine!" I exclaimed enthusiastically, grinning at her widely as I enter the break room, walking briskly towards the coffee pot. Catherine gives me one of her grins, one of those, I-know-you-did-something-dirty-that's-got-you-floating-on-cloud-nine-and-as-soon-as-I-know-what-that-is-you-and-I will-be-having-a-little-girl-talk kind of looks.

"Hi Sara..." she says, and I catch the last of her look as I breeze past her.

Catherine is really good at saying exactly what's on her mind without speaking a word. Her eyes are amazing like that.

I think that's why Grissom might like her so much. She doesn't talk much.

"Warrick brown reporting for duty." I hear Warrick's familiar voice behind me, announcing his own presence. Since I have been here, I've really learned to like Warrick. He has a way of connecting with people, no matter what age group or background. Or skin color for that matter.

And he has a really, sexy, almost chocolaty smooth voice.

"Hey War." I say, turning to give him a huge grin. He looks at me with a puzzled expression, and I can feel his eyes boring into mine, so I turn away for fear he might realize why I'm so happy.

"What's got you riding the high wave?" he asks, chuckling. I just shake my head, still not having enough courage to face either him or Catherine.

"Ah, it's a guy isn't it?" Says Warrick as I turn around. My cheeks get red as he continues.

"What have you been doing Sara? Maybe I should inspect the new boyfriend before you go and do something extreme." I can't contain the smile on my face, or the redness in my cheeks as Nick walks in the room.

"What has Sara been doing?" Nick inquires, looking straight at me with a huge grin that makes me want to kiss him.

Unbeknownst to me, Catherine sees this.

"Not sure man, but Sara's got some new boyfriend apparently." Warrick answers, not getting it yet.

"Does she now?" Nick asks grinning at me. I nod. Catherine laughs behind me.

"Yeah, and I was just saying that maybe we should check him out first." Warrick says with a shrug. I burst into silent laughter.

"Oh, don't worry Rick, I think you'll approve. You already know the guy, and I have personal assurance that you are quite fond of him." Catherine spits out. All eyes are on her, and I feel my jaw drop.

Nick turns and looks at me with a huge smile. I just look incredulously at him. He walks up to me, and slips his arm around my waist.

"What the...when...you two! TOGHETHER!! No...you're joking..." Warrick says, beaming at us both.

"So you finally worked up the guts to ask her huh Nick?" Catherine says, peering at us over the brim of her magazine.

"Excuse me? What does she mean finally?" I ask, looking at Nick like she's crazy. After all, I'm going out with Nick, my total dream guy who I am totally infatuated with, and that is plenty and enough. Now they are sitting there trying to tell me he has liked me for as long as I've liked him?

It's just too much for one girl to take.

Nick gives me a lopsided grin.

"Umm... I have no idea what she's talking about Sara... humph, no idea at all." he says, and I can't tell who he's trying to convince, himself or me.

Catherine smiles at me, one of her signature I-wouldn't-believe that-load-of-crap-for-a-second kind of smiles.

"Bullshit you don't Nick Stokes tell me the truth right now!" I demand, noting the twinkle in his eye.

"Okay..." he surrenders with a shrug, "so maybe I do know..."

I raise my eyebrows in response, waiting for the whole truth.

"What? WHAT?" he asks, like there is nothing left to be answered.

"How long?"

Pause of silence.

"Four years maybe."

At that, I can almost feel my jaw hitting the floor. I can't believe this! Nick gives me a quick kiss on the cheek.

"This is just too weird..." Warrick mutters audibly as my mouth continues to hang open.

"Don't stand there like you haven't liked him for just as long Sara Sidle. I don't want to hear it." Catherine adds, and I feel my eyes get wide. Now it's Nick's turn to stare in awe, and I blush as his grip gets a little tighter on my waist and his chest puffs out slightly.

And then the worst possible thing that could happen in the course of human courting history happened.

Gil Grissom walks into the room.

"Sara's liked whom?" he asks, still flipping through case files, not noticing anything. When he finally looks up, Nick has let go of my waist and taken a step away from me, Warrick has turned back to the coffee machine, and Catherine hides once again behind her magazine.

"C'mon, Sara's liked whom?" he asks once again, this time with more persistence. My heart skips a beat, hoping Nick and I won't be in trouble. I take a step forward, and all eyes, whether obvious or hidden, are on me.

"Uh, Nick Gris. I've liked Nick for a while, and due to recent events, we've decided to see what that like might turn into in the future." I say. Gil just stares at me, giving no indication of whether or not he understood what I had just said.

"We're dating Gil." Nick comes up behind me, and his hand purposely brushes against my leg.

"Oh." Grissom says, still staring at me. Then he shakes his head as if to clear it of a dirty thought, and checks his watch.

"Alright, alright, let's do what we get paid for here people, assignments all around. Warrick Nick, you're together, murder at the slots. Ladies, if you'll have the pleasure of joining me for an evening of double homicide, right this way.

And with that he was gone.

Everyone stared at the spot he had departed through, and then we all exchanged glances. Nick's hand touched mine, and I looked at him. He offered me a weak smile and I returned it.

"Well, that was...not so bad I guess." Catherine tried, "I'm going to go before something truly eventful happens."

She got up, and walked through the door. But at the last second she turned around and threw Warrick a look that read get-your-ass-out-of-there-so-these-kids-can-talk.

"Uhh, yeah, me too, gotta go, meet you out there..." he said and jogged over to Catherine and out the door.

When they were gone, I sighed, loud and sad. Nick gave me a half smile and curled my hair behind my ear. I reached for his hand and intertwined our fingers as my head went forward almost automatically, leaning into Nick for support. I gave him a hug, wrapping my free arm around his neck as I felt his free arm go up my back, his hand settling behind my head.

"Sorry about that." I say, not sure what just happened.

"Sorry for what darlin'? What Grissom does isn't ever your fault." he says, and I can't help but smile at how he calls me darling. His accent increases whenever he talks softly, or soothingly, or whenever he's having such a blast in life that he just screams with joy.

That southern accent gets me every time.

After combing through my hair, his hand glides to my back, and I feel his thumb make gentle caresses across my spine. Does he have any idea how cute and comforting he is?

"I guess not. But that doesn't mean I'm looking forward to spending the night with him. Or Catherine really. I'm sure she'll grill me about us, and to tell the truth, there isn't that much to grill. And about everything I told you...I don't want to give that away okay?" I say, and Nick gazes at me with a smile.

"Of course Sar. I won't say a word." He kisses my forehead, and again, the huge butterflies that apparently live in my stomach flutter to life. I just can't get over what Nick brings out in me, or how he acts around me. It's quite unlike what his reputation portrays him to be. He's always so gentle and caring, making sure I come first, and never pushing me to go too fast. I've never had that before, and I'd have to say, it's nice.

"I'll see you later okay?" I ask, giving him one last glance, and squeezing his hand. He smiles and nods, and I kiss him on the cheek.

"Definitely. Good luck tonight. With Cath and all." He says, squeezing my hand to prevent me from walking away just yet. I step back in front of him, placing a hand gently on his upper chest.

"Thanks, lucky dog. You get to work with your best friend!" I half exclaim, half complain. I go to walk off, but that hand stops me again, jerking me back. I loose my balance, but his arms reach out to steady me.

"Who judges that?" he asks with a boyish grin.

"Wait...judges what?"

"Who is the one who says Warrick is my best friend?" he asks, but I still don't catch on.

"Maybe he's my best guy friend in Vegas. Did the judge ever consider that? What about my brothers? They could be my best friends. And what about my favorite girl friend..." he says, and I blush at the meaning of this.

"Okay Mr. I-charm-like-a-pro, I gotta go. Contrary to popular belief, I do want to keep my job."

We smile at each other, not really knowing where this is going now. I blush and look away, but gentle fingers direct my eyes back to his. He stares without fear at my lips, and I start to get nervous.

Really nervous.

Okay, so kissing is not that big of a deal. I don't want to make myself out to be some virgin freak either.

But Nick, as we have already gone over, is one of my best friends in the world, and right now, if we broke up, I could get over it. There have only been little kisses on the cheek. Heck, if he broke up with me right now, I would even consider a potential romance with him in the future. But once we get into really kissing and such, my heart, and quite possibly a nice chunk of our friendship, might break.

Plus, I don't exactly want our first real kiss to be in the break room. I was kind of hoping for somewhere a little more special.

"Alright," he breaks the silence softly, his accent increasing again, "you'd best get movin'"

"Yeah." I say, still gazing into his eyes.

"Bye." He says, placing a hand on my stomach and sliding it around to rest on my hip.

"Bye." I say, squeezing his chest slightly to say wordlessly I-really-want-to-stay-but-I-have-to-go-and-I'm-hating-it.

He chuckles, and leans in to kiss my cheek. I breathe outward as he does, enjoying the sensation of his tender lips on my skin. His lips leave, finding their way to my earlobe. He nibbles playfully for a moment before kissing my cheek again and backing off. I just grin at him.

"Later cowboy." I say, shoving against his chest playfully. He squeezes my hand and lets go.

"Later hun."

I just throw him a smile, and head out the door.

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Well, I don't even get to the crime scene without avoiding the terrible questions. I think it should be a rule that anything a couple does not want to give away about themselves, that should be that. Although, if Cath and Gil ever did get together, I know I'd want to know all the details.

"So...when did this whole thing happen? Did Nick just ask you to go out with him, or what?" Catherine asks as she drives. Luckily Grissom drove himself. I would never have said anything in front of him. I know Catherine and I aren't the best of friends, but I don't seem to have a problem opening up to her like this. I do know she's close to every person on this team in her own way though, kind of like our mother.

"Umm...no, it was kind of decided by both of us." I say finally, trying to sort through my thoughts still and say the right thing without giving too much away.

"When?" she continues, not pressing, more like inquiring.

"Last night. We went out for breakfast." I say, definitely not bringing up the drunken man.

"Well, I'm glad you two finally got together. Warrick and I were sick of watching you flirt with him all the time." She says joking, and I shake my head at how hypocritical she's being, seeing as how her and Grissom do the 'smile and flirt subtly' thing all the time.

Hello! It's our jobs to notice things other people try to hide! I don't say a word about it though. I value my life. She seems to notice my silence though, and figures she better fix what she just said.

"But no, I am really happy for the both of you. You two look good together you really do." She says firmly as we pull up to the scene of the crime.

"Thanks Cath, that really means a lot to me." I say truthfully. We share a smile as we get out of the car, her smile a bit wiser, mine a bit more infatuated, but two smiles nonetheless.

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- Nick's Point Of View -

"Yo, Rick, hold up buddy." I yell down the hallway, jogging to catch up.

"Took you long enough, what were you two doin' in there?" he asks me with a laugh.

"Nothing. Just talking." I say, any joking absent from my voice. He looks over at me, and chuckles.

"Talking huh? So that's what they're calling it these days..." He says, still not realizing how completely serious I am.

"No man, not kidding. I'm taking it slow with her. She's not some girl I picked up on the street. This is Sara we're talking about. Neither of us can afford a casual sex relationship." I say, and the laughing has completely vanished. Warrick nods his head seriously, understanding where I'm coming from.

"That's good. I think you're each what each other needs right now."

I nod my head as he slaps me on the back.

"Yeah. Me too."

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- Sara's Point Of View -

I'm not sure if God let me get through the night without a Grissom confrontation, or if Grissom himself avoided me, but we barely passed a word between us all shift. Now, I just need to talk to someone else on the team. I don't even need it to be Nick; I just need some human contact.

Lucky for me, Catherine and I joked and talked all the way home. I feel like our relationship is improving, maybe she finally forgives me for not sticking with the Eddie case and all.

I'm really glad.

So, because of her, I am in a significantly better mood when I return back to the lab. I have to drop some stuff back off to Greggo, so I head down there.

"Hey Greg, I brought you a boatload of presents. This should make up for your Christmas stuff, since I have a feeling you'll be processing 'til then." I say as I drop a huge, slightly heavy paper bag on the counter in front of him.

He looks up at me with an expression commonly seen at a funeral.

"You were just going to not tell me or what?" he asks.

Okay. Sara's completely lost.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, hoping to get to the bottom of this.

"You and Nick." He states, still looking sadly away at the ground. I take an audible breath in.

"Oh...Greg...I'm sorry. It didn't even occur to me we let you know. How can I make up for it?" I ask, sincerely regretting what I had done. He just shrugs his shoulders, still not looking at me.

This isn't a Greg-wanting-attention moment either, he's seriously disappointed. I think he feels left out sometimes, like he's not really part of the team. That might be his reasoning behind wanting to go into the field, no matter how hard he sticks to his 'out from behind the printer' story.

Suddenly, an idea hits me. I go around the table and touch his shoulder. He turns to look at me, but I don't give him enough time to process what's going on. I place both hands on his shoulders, lean over and give him a kiss on the cheek.

When I back away, he just stares at me in awe. I smile widely at him, and he just shakes his head in shock.

"Don't tell Nick I cheated on him. We'll keep this as our little secret, okay?" I say, joking about the cheating, since it's only just a kiss on the cheek. He just nods his head, and I wink at him before walking out of the room.

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Heading down the hallway, I spy Warrick and Nick walking towards me. I wave, taking a deep breath unconsciously. I have to admit, I'm nervous of what Warrick might say.

"Hey girl." Warrick greets me as he and Nick reach me. Nick slips an arm around my waist momentarily, squeezing my hip and then letting go. I blush and smile, squeezing his forearm.

Warrick just chuckles and starts to walk on down the hallway. I fall into step with them, in the middle of the two.

"Sara, promise you'll tell me if this guy does anything to you? I'll rough him up; teach him a lesson for sure. Just give me a call." Warrick says, and I know past the joking face, there's the serious big brother gene that he has kicking in.

"Definitely." I say, turning to Nick and letting my eyes do the talking. He just raises his hands in mock surrender, and I laugh.

"Besides," Warrick leans over to whisper audibly in my ear, "if things don't work out between you two, maybe you and I can arrange something..." Warrick waggles his eyebrows suggestively.

"Hey!" Nick exclaims playing along. I love it when we do this, get this little mini-scenario going and keep it up as long as we can.

"Sorry Rick, but Greg already reserved a spot." I laugh. Nick looks at me, and I mouth 'We'll talk later'. Nick just nods, laughing with Warrick and me.

"Damn..." he mutters.

We continue to walk, joking about assorted things.

"Thanks guys. I'm really glad I've got you around." I can't help myself but add some lovey-dovey remark to the moment.

They both smile.

"Anytime." Says Warrick with a grin that reveals his white teeth.

"You know it." Says Nick, smiling affectionately at me as he purposely allows our hands to brush one another.

I'm so lucky to have friends like this.

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Well, that's all for this chapter folks. Hope you enjoyed it!

TheNotoriousCat

P.S. – Do I need to remind you to review??


	5. Sunrises and Second Thoughts

SUNRISES AND SECOND THOUGHTS

- Narrator's Point Of View -

Nick looked out across Lake Mead, watching the sunrise. He and Sara were sitting on a blanket, watching the sun come up. He was sitting down with his legs spread, Sara sitting between them. It was a romantic position Nick thought. His arms wrapped around Sara's waist, and she placed her hands on his, squeezing them gently. Nick felt Sara lean more into him, and he smiled. She trusted him more; with each event that passed, she let a little more of her heart go to him.

He valued that heart more than anything he had ever valued in his entire life. He was falling for Sara, hard and fast.

He looked down at her face. Her beautiful features and small touch of make-up made her radiant. Nick could positively not believe he was holding this woman in his arms. He hugged her closer, if that was humanly possible. She felt it, and he watched a large smile grow on her face, that telltale blush creeping up again. He brought a hand to her cheek, laying his fingers on the side of her neck and caressing her cheek with his thumb. She smiled again, turning her head towards him.

Their eyes connected. And in that moment they both knew. They saw the fire in each other's eyes, the pent up heat and passion. Sara turned her body more towards his, looking more intensely at him. His thumb halted its journey across her cheekbone.

Neither one really knew who leaned in first, but somehow, their lips connected. It was soft and warm, and they kissed gently for a long time. Small pecks and long kisses where they took their time, memorizing grooves and curves of each other's mouths. Nick's hand's rested on Sara's hips, and her arms slung lazily behind his neck, playing with the short hairs that grew there.

Sara stopped for a moment, backed away, and smiled at Nick. He let one hand run through her hair, smiling at her as well. Sara turned her body fully towards Nick's. A wicked grin overtook her face, and she captured his lips. His mouth opened willingly to her, and she took full advantage of it. She cupped his face, and his hands slid a little ways up her shirt, resting against her bare skin.

- Sara's Point Of View -

I can't believe this. I simply cannot.

Nick and I are making out.

Yeah. Sure. Wake me up now God, and I'll go to work a happy woman.

Nick kisses me one last time, and slowly breaks off. I keep my eyes closed, still not completely sure if I am really here.

I open my eyes, and Nick is smiling down at me. I blush and look away, turning my head and staring at the ground. I feel Nick's hand run through my hair, and our eyes connect once again. This huge, contagious grin spreads across Nick's face, and I feel myself grin as well.

I lean in and let my head rest against his shoulder, and his arms wrap around me, holding me tightly against him. I let out a breath I had been unconsciously holding, and he chuckles.

"Sara, you're amazing, do you know that?" he asks. I laugh, my breath hot as it bounces off his shoulder and back onto my face.

"Hey, I'm still waiting to wake up."

We laugh together, and I wrap my arms around his neck. We sit there for a while like this, and I close my eyes. My body zones in on the sensation of Nick, and his tender caress. I let a hand glide through his hair, and we just sit enjoying silent company. The feel of Nick's body pressed flush against mine is so overpoweringly stimulating, I don't feel a need to talk, and apparently neither does he.

And suddenly, I'm scared.

I'm falling for Nick.

And that scares me.

- Nick's Point Of View -

I felt Sara's body stiffen suddenly, and it jerked me out of my 'infatuation haze'.

"You okay Sar?" I ask gently, opening my eyes, but not letting her out of my arms. She turns her head in towards my neck, and I feel her breath and lips.

Let's just say I grit my teeth.

"Umm...yeah. I'm fine." She tries, but I can sense the unease in her voice.

"Are you sure?"

At this, she backs out of my embrace. Her arms slide from behind my neck and rest on my arms. I look at her with concern, and her eyes tell me something is wrong.

"I'm scared." She admits, looking away. I tilt my head, trying to catch her eye again.

"Of what?" I ask encouragingly. A million things run through my head, but the top two are her nightmares and that man that attacked her.

"Of you."

Okay.

So I didn't see that coming.

I take my hand gently from her back, raise a hand to her chin, and tilt her head so she meets my gaze.

"Why?" I ask as wave of sadness washes over me.

"Because I care too much about you." She says, on the brink of tears. My jaw drops, and I break into a smile. Without giving her time to think, I capture her lips, a deep feeling of lust and want growing in the pit of my stomach. I return my hand to her bare skin, and she whimpers. A moan escapes me as I hear and feel her responses. The kiss deepens, and my hands ride up her shirt a little more. She presses her hand into my arm, signaling me to go no further. I nod, but let my tongue dart in and out of her mouth.

I groan loudly as she scoots herself closer, grinding into me in the process. She freezes, but I refuse to stop kissing her, and she loosens again. I break away from her lips and kiss down her neck, sucking gently on it. She breathes heavily, and a soft groan escapes her as I do. I break from her skin and stop, looking down at her flushed face as I regain lost oxygen.

She hugs me to her, pressing herself into me. I held her to me as well, needing to feel her.

"I care too much about you too."

We sit there in silence again, and I savor the feel of her in my arms.

"Nick?" her voice calls gently, and she speaks in a tone that you might expect form a child.

"Yeah babe?" I reply, and she backs out of my embrace just enough to look me in the eye. Her hand comes to my face, and she smiles tenderly at me.

"Thanks for caring."

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Author's Two Cents –

Okay, okay. I know. It's a filler chapter.

Sue me!

Umm...as you can see, the Rascal Flatts Series is progressing nicely. If all these stories are done by mid 2005 I'll be amazed. I'm planning on doing maybe one C/G multi-chap, and maybe possibly another N/S. Otherwise, I'm thinking one shots.

If you have been sticking with me I can't even begin to thank you enough.

Oh how I hope this story is good!

Review or burn in the eternal flames of hell!

Oh So Much Love -

! The ! Notorious ! Cat !


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